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For those unfamiliar with the concept of the Paradox of Tolerance: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_
by dingusdew 4y ago
For those unfamiliar with the concept of the Paradox of Tolerance:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradox_of_tolerance
"Less well known [than other paradoxes] is the paradox of tolerance: Unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them.—In this formulation, I do not imply, for instance, that we should always suppress the utterance of intolerant philosophies; as long as we can counter them by rational argument and keep them in check by public opinion, suppression would certainly be most unwise. But we should claim the right to suppress them if necessary even by force; for it may easily turn out that they are not prepared to meet us on the level of rational argument, but begin by denouncing all argument; they may forbid their followers to listen to rational argument, because it is deceptive, and teach them to answer arguments by the use of their fists or pistols. We should therefore claim, in the name of tolerance, the right not to tolerate the intolerant. We should claim that any movement preaching intolerance places itself outside the law and we should consider incitement to intolerance and persecution as criminal, in the same way as we should consider incitement to murder, or to kidnapping, or to the revival of the slave trade, as criminal."
-Karl Popper
- golemotron 4y agoPopper was flawed on this. He neglected the game theory aspect of his maxim. Each side of a conflict sees themselves as the tolerant ones facing intolerance, so it just escalates or plays to a draw, a standing conflict.
- api 4y agoThat happens if you have fat ends and a smaller center. Unfortunately that's increasingly the case with US political polarization.
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- LarryMullins 4y agoIf you follow that philosophy on intolerance, escalating polarization is the inevitable result. A small few people on the extreme ends being intolerable to each other put on a show of conflict that draws more people into the conflict.